Lamps and lanterns

[rik_uk3]

What do you guys and gals use for lighting in a fixed camp, and when on the move (ignoring LED's etc)

I like Bialaddin/Vapalux in a fixed camp (and the odd hurricane lamp) and use a candle lantern when on the move

[PC2K]

I don't really like lanterns, they spread light everywhere, which ruins your night visions. Which you need because most lanterns are not powerfull enough to light things up properly enough.
A headlight or just a hand torch will only light up things you want to light up, which will usually means it gives plenty of light where you want it.

[philm4]

Fixed camp I use a basic gas lantern, as they give out enough light to comfortably read and fill and area with useable light. They are only an option if you have an ability to move heavy loads such as a car. On the move and if camping on my own I find a headtorch is the most effective means of lighting as the light is always where you want it and never in your eyes. You can't beat a Petzl Tikka+ for around camp. In addition to this I find a candle or two adds a bit of ambient light and atmosphere in any camping situation, I have seen candle lanterns and would quite like one but I just use jamjars and tealights.

[redcollective]

I have a uco candle lantern and really like it for a tent light (careful were you put it - they get blistering hot). They have a nice comforting glow.

However they are expensive. People on this site have been able to get cheap uco-type lanterns on ebay for as little as £3.00 and are very happy with them.

I would say that in the open a single candle lantern doesn't throw a heck of a lot of light - they benefit from something to bounce off - phill's comment above about 'useable light' is dead right.

uco do sell a 'candelier' version with multiple candles which might be good for your needs. I shudder at the thought of the price though.

[wingstoo]

Hi Folks,


The definition of a "Fixed camp" please?

Sorry to sound a bit dense, but are we talking tented area for a few days or a week or so, or a really permenant "fixed camp"...

LS

[RAPPLEBY2000]

i think he means, an area you will be staying for more than just resting.
so a temporary home from home, which could be:
a huge multi shelter area, or one tarp.

on camp definately an old hurricane style unpressurised parafin lantern,

reasons,

it will last all night.
the bulb won't break or pop.
it provides a "view of the local surroundings"

they spread light everywhere, which ruins your night visions

which is especially good for newbies , that are scared of the dark.
it gives a home feel.

yes it ruins your night vision but so do most light sources, i use these lanterns at work and i find that if you don't stare at the flame rather people or the ground you still have much of your vision.

[British Red]

I was kindly provided recently with a couple of LED lanterns (what a lovely woman I have). They run on 4 D cells so are heavy when batteried up, but provide a fantastic clean light, run for many, many hours on a single set of batteries (20+) are fire safe for tents / kids etc. and great for passing wine bottles round the fire or late night brews etc. They come from Attelborough Accesories and gets a "Red Recommends" as a family (child) friendly lantern. Useful home backup if you live out in the sticks like me and have consigned my Coleman Dual Fuel to occasional use now

Red

[rik_uk3]

Sorry, by fixed camp I meant somewhere you would stay for a day or more; got there by car or were in a group where weight is not a real issue.

Hurricane lamps are very reliable, the Army Bialaddin/Vapalux pressure lamps really throw out the light and a little over a Kw of heat

The LED headtorches are as cheap as chips and work well to read by or find a spot to park your spade in the dark

These are OK as well
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Canal-Barge-wa...QQcmdZViewItem

I bought a job lot a couple of years ago, great for the money you pay.

I don't worry about losing night vision as I don't hunt now. I'm new to this forum and must say how friendly it is, a pleasure to visit

[stevec]

normally use a battery lantern, but for my last holiday in cornwall camping, bought a colman F1 lantern, one of the mesh globe jobs, useful amount of light but it was especially handy for warming the tent up as a couple of nights it got quite cold.

i'd recomend one.

steve

[Bumblebee]

If I have the space etc I bring one of my Optimus or Radius pressurized kerosene lamps. They are heavy and the mantles are very easily broken but the gentle hissing of the lamp gives such a nice feeling. They give so much light that I can continue carving or cooking etc for as long as I want.

[wingstoo]

To expand on my first post now that I have established the type of camp from Rappleby2000.


"i think he means, an area you will be staying for more than just resting.
so a temporary home from home, which could be:
a huge multi shelter area, or one tarp."

When off on one nighters I just stick with the LED head light and a small battery lantern with a dim feature...

At my permanent camp site I have a mixture of lighting...There are four of the cheapie wick and paraffin lanterns, a couple of the Gaz type mantle lanterns, a Tilley pressurized lantern which is usually a bit of a pain to get lit, in the toilet area we have a couple of 50 watt 12 volt lights running off a couple of 12 v jelly batteries, in the smaller shelter there are a series of car interior lights and a small flourecent light again on a 12 volt battery, in the larger shelter there is a 12 v flourecent light and a couple of 240 v lights that can either run from the generator or through an inverter and a 12 v battery...

So as you can see, a very wide variety of systems for lighting the various area's...

When we have a meet up on the site and are around the fire in the evening we have one of Reds super LED lanterns and of course the light from the fire..So long as we can see the labels on the bottles we don't usually need to much lighting...

LS

[scanker]

Perhaps you could help me LS - I'm after some sort of lantern to run from a 12V car battery for family camping. I've been looking for an LED solution - thinking it would have lower power consumption and be more durable - but have drawn a blank so far.

[maddave]

I use a bushlite when on the move and in camp I use a coleman gas lantern (F1)

[nobby]

Perhaps you could help me LS - I'm after some sort of lantern to run from a 12V car battery for family camping. I've been looking for an LED solution - thinking it would have lower power consumption and be more durable - but have drawn a blank so far.

I made my own using LED's bought from eBay, a piece of wood fo the base and one of those globes that come with washing powder. I had intended it as an anchor light but it works well for general lighting.

[wingstoo]

Perhaps you could help me LS - I'm after some sort of lantern to run from a 12V car battery for family camping. I've been looking for an LED solution - thinking it would have lower power consumption and be more durable - but have drawn a blank so far.

Hi Skanker,

First you need to do a bit of shopping at your local pound-shop or similar, we have one called J-Mart warehouse...Look for the flashing beacon lights that plug into the cigar lighter on your vehicle...

Inside the base of one of these is a small circuit board with the components that make it flash...usually a little black thingy with three legs mostly round with a small flat bit on it...Any way these lights usually have 9 or 12 white LEDs', but the top cover is probably going to be amber, red or green, this needs to be taken off and replaced with something that is transparent...like the bottom of a pop bottle, the tricky bit is stopping the thing from flashing when it is powered up, do you know anyone who is into electronics who could re-jig this to be on permanently?

The next thing I would suggest is a small jelly battery, one that will fit into a small ammo box, you will need a switch and some wiring but should be an easy enough project...I used to have one of the mentioned beacon lights but chucked it a while ago...If I had it I would have done a step by step project for you all...

LS

[Grooveski]

Anybody tried a CMG Bonfire ? I was toying with getting one for reading in the hammock. Not keen on candles around the midgie net.
The Blaze version looks like it might be more useful as a general lantern but for reading I think the original model would do nicely.

[scanker]

Blimey that sounds complicated. Are you just using the beacon lights as a source for the LEDs in a holder or have I missed something? I presume a beacon light is like a flashing orange light, that sort of thing? Secondly, what's a jelly battery? I've a 12V battery from an old car which I've put in a plastic box, the sort they have for caravans - I was hoping to power whatever lantern I get/make from this. I've been looking at http://www.ultraleds.co.uk - wondering if there's anything suitable I can buy from there, but baffled by the enormous selection!

[wingstoo]

Blimey that sounds complicated. Are you just using the beacon lights as a source for the LEDs in a holder or have I missed something? I presume a beacon light is like a flashing orange light, that sort of thing? Secondly, what's a jelly battery? I've a 12V battery from an old car which I've put in a plastic box, the sort they have for caravans - I was hoping to power whatever lantern I get/make from this. I've been looking at http://www.ultraleds.co.uk - wondering if there's anything suitable I can buy from there, but baffled by the enormous selection!

Hi Neil,

Yes, the beacon was for the LED source, one of the cheapest ways of buying them in quantity, with the benefit of a holder and lead as well...

Jelly batteries are the ones they use for back up in alarm systems, they are great as they do not leak at whatever angle you put, and some are small enough to hang from the inside of a tent (look at the camp shower article, it has a mid size jelly battery there).

I like the idea of the lights you have been looking at, the main catch with them is they are usually coloured...

Have just found this site...http://www.knightlight.co.uk/pr-led_assemblies.asp they have ultra bright LEDs from under £2 each...

LS

[scanker]

Cheers for that and your previous help, I'll let you know how I get on.

[Culicoidis]

If you are looking to build your own there is a good tutorial on this site,

http://www.theledlight.com/ledcircuits.html

I have played around with a few low voltage cicuits, boosting a single 1.5v AA battery to power a white LED. There are a number of sites on the net for those interested in electronics that have circuits for LEDs.

[fred gordon]

I quite like my old fashioned Tilly lamp. Gives out a great light, easy to use and gives off a great heat in the winter. That hiss always reminds me of trips I've had in Nepal where the are used all the time. Other than that I use a Petzl and the light of my fire.

[Phil562]

When were family camping - I use a Coleman Duel Fuel - the noise it makes is hypnotic

[mojofilter]

I have a couple of old X246s that I like to use for the longer autumn / winter nights. I have never used a Bialaddin / Vapalux before, but I'd like to.

I take it you know about sticking one of the legs under the burner of a 210 or 00 to get a large yellow candle like flame Rik?

[PJMCBear]

When using light, and you don't want to lose your nightsight, close one eye. Or use a red filter.

[mojofilter]

When using light, and you don't want to lose your nightsight, close one eye. Or use a red filter.

I think that you are (possibly deliberatly?) missing the point of the thread....

[rik_uk3]

Tilley lamps are good, but are not the easiest to light as the preheating wick is exposed to wind, this is where the Vapalux/Bialaddin win, as the wick is inside the glass shade; this means the lamp starts a lot easier.

[Bigman]

I use a twin mantle coleman, runs on unleaded petrol.

It's ideal for when I'm night fishing.

[retrohiker]

Anybody tried a CMG Bonfire ? I was toying with getting one for reading in the hammock. Not keen on candles around the midgie net.
The Blaze version looks like it might be more useful as a general lantern but for reading I think the original model would do nicely.

I've got one of the Bonfires. Nice light for general light in a tent but it's pretty big for the amount of light it puts out. It has a really diffuse, soft light that might work in a hammock set-up but you could probably do better by just rigging up one of the small Photon lights on the ridgeline in your hammock. Much, much smaller and a bright light to read by.

[scanker]

Just realised I've made no attempt to answer the original question and just barged on in with my questions about LED lights, so my apologies Rik.

As you've gathered, I'm still researching the big base camp lamp and will keep you posted. For camping, I have a little Coleman gas lantern with a piezo ignition. It's reasonably bright for its size, but I don't like the sound it makes.

For "bush camps" I've a bushlite and two of the Uco-style candle lanterns from Ebay, all of which I think are great. They give a bright enough light, without the big roar of a gas lantern. I have a fauxton torch permanently on the ridgeline of my hammock, which gives a good bright light - plenty for getting ready for bed or reading - and it's small enough to put away with the hammock when it gets rolled up. Finally a Princeton Aurora hedtorch and a couple of little CR123 torches for other jobs.

[Rebel]

I use a twin mantle coleman, runs on unleaded petrol.

I use the same. It's really bright so you can do stuff around the tent at night. Great when there's quite a few of you as you can all see with the same light source.

If there were five or six of you sitting around chatting and all using headlamps it would get a bit annoying.

The mantles on the Coleman are delicate though so it's a good idea to have a couple of spares with you just in case.

I tried using one of those lanterns with an energy saving bulb that runs on a rechargeable 6v battery. It was okay, not very bright but decent. The battery doesn't last long and neither did the lamp itself (less than a month in fact).